The present invention relates to body part protectors and in particular to a custom fitted chest protector to protect a user when playing sports and similar activities.
Organized sports has become quite common place for youth. Games and leagues are organized for playing all types of sports including soccer, football, basketball and baseball, among others. All of these sports can be hazardous for youth. A particularly hazardous game is the game of baseball when a ball is being pitched at a batter. Being hit in the head by a pitch or batted ball may result in a severe injury, however another lesser known but fairly common injury is a batter being hit in the chest causing blunt chest trauma. This type of injury occasionally can be lethal if cardiac concussion occurs, resulting in the death of a young player. A known solution to prevent these types of injuries is to wear protective vests. U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,947 to Davis, a co-inventor of the present invention, recognizes this problem and provides an adjustable chest protector specifically designed to prevent these types of athletic injuries. The chest protector is C-shaped and designed to fit comfortably and unnoticeably underneath the clothing of the user while allowing free, unhindered movement. The adjustable chest protector is contoured to assume the natural shape of the user's hemithorax. This protector was specifically designed to worn under the uniform of the athlete in order to provide a level of protection from injury while being esthetically pleasing and conforming with league rules relating to specific uniforms.
One difficulty in providing chest protectors for useful athlete wear is the wide variety of sizes of bodies of the athletes playing the game. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to provide universally fitting protectors to adequately protect the athlete from injury. Custom fitting body protective pads has been recognized in the prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,454,780, 5,456,658, 5,480,376 and 5,544,663 to Parker Medical Associates are directed to custom fitted protective pads, specifically shin guards, using moisture curable resin to form a rigid structure conforming to the shape of the shin body part to be protected.
Prior art devices of this type are made with curable resin which hardens when exposed to moisture. A shortcoming of the prior art is the premature hardening of the product inside an unopened pouch or packaging container in which it is sold. The materials used to construct the device, such as the thread used for surging the edges, along with the fabric, separable fastener material, and elastic, contain a certain percentage of moisture even when the item is sealed within an airtight pouch. This moisture, which may be as little as 0.01%, causes premature hardening of the product, often in as little as weeks or a few months. Typically more and more of the product hardens as shelf life increases, making it impossible to mold the product to the user's body after it is taken from the packaging pouch. Another shortcoming is that the product cannot be fitted prior to opening the pouch since moisture in the air will harden the product. Therefore if the size is incorrect, the product cannot be used and must be discarded. A still further shortcoming is that the prior art requires exposure to the hardening chemicals as the product is fitted and molded to the user.
The present invention is directed to an improved custom fitted chest protector for prevention of chest related injuries, specifically during playing the game of baseball. The protector covers the chest area of the athlete and is designed to be worn underneath a conventional uniform shirt and therefore is not readily noticeable by others. The protector is shaped to be worn adjacent the arm and extending upwardly to cover the chest area including at least a forward portion of the thorax, ribs and torso, near the pectoralis muscle and also posteriorly to cover the areas of the scapula and upper back muscles. This protector structure covers the part of the upper body which would normally face the pitcher when the athlete assumes a normal batting stance. For example, a right handed hitting athlete would use a customized chest protector designed to protect primarily the upper left portions of the upper body.
The protector of the present invention preferably is made in two parts including a jacket like garment having a pocket and a moldable insert designed and shaped to fit into the pocket in the jacket garment and conform with the physical body characteristics of the particular athlete. Preferably the insert is made of a fiberglass, foam or felt material with a polyethelene foam cover, impregnated with a moisture curable resin, such as polyisocyanate, in a sealed pouch. The jacket is sewn together with at least two layers of fabric or other similar material. An opening is provided along a length of seam, preferably along a bottom edge of the garment, having a separable fastener closure to seal the opening. The garment may be worn to insure the size is correct before the insert is activated by opening the airtight pouch and exposing the curable resin to air.
Since the protector comes in two parts, it requires assembly, by the consumer, to obtain a custom fit. Once it is determined that the protector is the right size by trying on the jacket type garment, the insert piece, which is stored in the sealed, airtight pouch, is removed from the air tight pouch, placed in the garment opening and fitted against the body of the user to obtain an exact contoured fit. Since the impregnated material is covered by the polyethelene cover, the resin material does not contact the athlete and/or anyone assisting in the fitting process.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a chest and/or rib protector which is custom fitted to the upper torso of an athlete.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a protector that is comfortable and provides free movement to the athlete during the playing of a game.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a protector which provides personal security to the athlete thus enabling him to focus on playing the game rather than a fear of injury.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a protector which may be easily custom fitted to an individual athlete without subjecting the user to adverse effects of curing materials and/or chemicals.
Another object is to provide protection to individuals having injuries to the torso such as broken ribs, injured kidneys or individuals wearing implanted pacemakers.
Another object is the provision of a protector which permits removal of the hardened insert from the jacket for replacement with a new moldable insert should the athlete change in size.
Another object is the provision of a jacket which can be tried on for sizing before the insert in the foil pouch is opened.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment of the subject invention.